Avoiding gear theft should be as important to you as where you are going to photograph during your travel.
Getting your gear stolen during a trip is probably one of a photographer's worst nightmares. It's not just a bad day; it's a devastating experience that can completely ruin your trip.
So, being afraid of such a scenario is understandable, but it shouldn't paralyze you or stop you from traveling. I've spent over a decade traveling the globe, constantly with my gear by my side, and somehow, I've managed to keep it safe. So far, luck has been on my side.
But luck hasn't been the only factor. It's been about my approach, my decisions, and a set of rules developed through the years.
Today, I'm going to share exactly how I manage myself and my equipment on the road, giving you my strategies and helping you with the right mindset shifts so you avoid that nightmare scenario.
Prefer to watch instead of read? I tell all of this, with stories from the road, in this video. The full written version continues below.
Now, before we start with all the tips and behaviors, I want to say something very important. I truly believe that most people in the world are honest. I don't see the world as a hostile place with a thief around every corner. So, please don't get the idea from my recommendations that the world is a horrible place and develop fears around that. These are just tips on how to maximize your gear safety; you can listen and see what fits you.
Okay. So... you can get your gear stolen at any point during your travels, but there are a few areas where these things happen more often.
HOW TO KEEP YOUR GEAR SAFE IN YOUR ACCOMMODATION
The first area is accommodation, and there are a lot of choices to be made here.
- Avoid popular party/backpacker hubs. This is often where "fishy" things happen. I don't want to label specific places, but locations that attract this kind of crowd often come with all kinds of characters, and some aren't very honest.
- Don't stay in dormitories. There's almost always a private room available at similar prices. It's just harder to remain private in a dormitory. The biggest benefit of having your own room is that none of the other hotel guests will know you're traveling with camera gear. It might sound weird, but thefts very often happen from other travelers rather than staff or local people.
- Don't stay in large hotels. Large hotels have a lot of staff, and even though some have security teams and procedures to prevent theft, unfortunately, it still happens there. The problem is that due to the large number of staff and guests, it's very hard to find the accountable ones.
The best choice in terms of safety is small hotels with up to 20 rooms; the fewer the rooms, the better. And if it's a family homestay, you've hit the jackpot!
You see, most small hotels are family or small businesses. For some of them, it's their livelihood; for others, a dream come true. So, they are very careful about their reputations.
They'll have a small staff, and the experience of staying in these places is often very personal. It's in their highest interest to have you as a happy customer.
They know all their guests and employees by face, and any stranger is immediately noticed. So, the chances of something getting stolen there are very low.
HOTEL GEAR SAFETY RULES: REDUCING THE ODDS EVEN MORE
Let's reduce those chances even more by applying some hotel safety rules.
- Don't be an asshole to the staff. Remember, these are small places. If you misbehave at reception or are rude to someone, it will become known to the whole staff.
You don't want your cleaning lady to think bad things of you. You can always get things done the nice way, even if someone from the staff makes a mistake. Be understanding, you always want the hotel staff to like you and be on your side.
- Always keep your room tidy. Yes, there's room service every day, but that doesn't mean you should throw stuff on the floor and have everything scattered. Keep everything as neat and tidy as possible. The cleaning staff can tell what kind of person stays in the room just by looking at how they live there.
Someone who doesn't respect their job won't be respected back. Remember to smile at the staff when you see them, and it's good to give tips here and there, depending on your budget.
- When you are out of the room, keep all your gear locked. The way I do it is by locking my camera backpack or trolley inside a larger bag or suitcase. It's even better if you can lock it with a non-TSA lock. You'll probably ask, "Why don't you put it in the safe? Or leave it at reception?"
Well, there are two reasons for that. First, room safes are often too small and not really attached to anything, and you can just take them out of the room.
Alternatively, there might be a master key that can open all the safes in the hotel. I don't like that.
The second reason is that the moment I go down to reception and hand them a bag with gear, that person knows I have a valuable bag.
Putting it in a big suitcase is safer simply because its size makes it harder to steal. But also, if no one knows I have a bag with $10,000 worth of equipment, no one will come to steal it.
- Don't flash your gear around. This brings me to the next rule. I see a lot of people leaving their hotels with their big cameras around their necks, sometimes two!
That shows people in the hotel, other guests, and anyone living, running a business, or just hanging out around your hotel that you have expensive gear.
So, keep your gear in your bag and only take it out at the place you're going to shoot. You can even take it out a block away. Just don't let people tag you with your gear right next to your hotel.
TIPS TO KEEP YOUR CAMERA SAFE WHILE WALKING OUTSIDE
Okay, so we're outside now. Let's talk about how to keep your gear safe on the street. The second place where your gear is in danger is when you are shooting outdoors. My first tip has nothing to do with gear, but a lot to do with psychology and how you're perceived on the street.
Dress appropriately for the place. You shouldn't stand out from the crowd. If you do, you look like the first choice for an assault.
- My general recommendation is: don't wear any luxury items, gold chains, diamond rings, Rolexes, smartwatches, branded clothes, or expensive sunglasses. Of course, it really depends on your travel destination. If you're going to Milan to photograph Fashion Week, that's one thing. But if you're in a market in India, you'll stand out like a bright Christmas tree. If you're in a poorer place, don't flash your latest iPhone Pro Max. Every child from the age of nine knows how to recognize it, and it has been their dream. So, be humble and think properly about what you're wearing. I usually take my oldest clothes: t-shirts that have lost their color, an old bag... things like that. Sometimes I find myself in a modern city between my travel destinations and suddenly feel like a bum, but hey, that keeps me safe from thieves!
- Don't walk around with a camera bag. You'll be thinking, "Whoa, wait. Isn't a camera bag made for that?" Maybe it is, but camera bags, especially well-known ones like Peak Design or Lowepro, are easy to recognize and tag as potentially containing something expensive. So, while you can use your big camera bag for travel between places, when you're out shooting, I recommend using a regular small backpack with an insert in it. The insert will keep your gear safe, but from the outside, it will just look like a normal bag. There's another aspect to it: after 4-5 hours with a heavy camera bag outside, you'll get really tired, and that can affect your judgment.
- Don't leave your camera bag on the floor when you're engaged in shooting something. I often see this: a photographer changes a lens and then leaves the bag on the floor while shooting. Occasionally, being engrossed in the shooting process, they might even move away from the bag without noticing. That's a very good way to get your stuff stolen. It's enough to look away for 15 seconds, and it's gone.
- When you stop for coffee or food, having your camera on the table is not a great idea. Someone can snatch it. Similarly, with your camera bag, always have it in the least accessible place from the street. You can even wrap the shoulder strap around the chair or your leg for extra safety.
- If you are shooting in third-world countries, replace your brand-name straps with something generic and perhaps tape over the logos, especially if it's a red dot. Leave that tape in place even if it gets dusty and dirty. The worse your camera looks, the less attractive it is to thieves. You can remove the tape and clean it back home.
Now, street safety really depends on the place. In some countries, certain streets or neighborhoods can be very dangerous. So, read about these first and make your own risk assessments. But most importantly, if you are in an isolated alley and you feel that something is off, get out of there to a busy street. Listen to your instincts; they are often right.
CAMERA SAFETY WHEN MOVING BETWEEN PLACES
Another area where you can get targeted is while you are traveling or moving from place to place. For example, last year there was a crew working on all the budget flights in Asia specializing in stealing valuables from overhead compartments. It's less likely to happen on a $500+ flight, but very much possible on cheap flights. And there are a few ways to protect yourself here.
PROTECT YOUR GEAR ON THE AIRPLANE
Put your hand luggage on the opposite side rather than directly above you. If your luggage is right on top of you, you can't really see properly when someone is opening the overhead compartment and what they're doing there. So, always use the opposite side.
- Don't use camera backpacks as your main carry-on. The reasoning is the same as before: thieves know that a camera backpack can contain $10,000 worth of equipment, and they are very tempting to steal. Just use a normal trolley with inserts or an older backpack. Of course, these need to be locked during the flight. You want to make access to your valuables as difficult as possible.
- Don't sleep during flights, especially not using sleeping pills. They knock you out completely, and you can lose all your belongings and not even notice.
Okay, so we're clear with flights. How about other public transport?
PROTECT YOUR CAMERA GEAR ON PUBLIC TRANSPORT
The rules with public transport are simple: never lose sight of the bag with your gear. If it's a train, put your main luggage under the seat, but your camera bag stays with you. Use it as a pillow if you wish; just never take your eyes off it. Similarly with buses: never put your camera bag in the main compartment under the bus; always keep it with you on the bus. And if you are using a car for traveling, it's okay to put it in the luggage compartment. But if you stop at a gas station or for lunch, it's better to take the bag with you. Theft from cars happens mostly in such parking places.
ESSENTIAL GEAR SAFETY ACCESSORIES
There are mainly three accessories that I recommend:
A whistle. There is nothing better to scare a thief than something that makes a lot of noise. So, find yourself a strong whistle and attach it to your camera bag.
A bag secure cord. These are thin cords with metal wiring that backpackers use to secure their bags in public transport. I recommend having two of these: one for the main luggage, the other for your camera bag. Sometimes when I'm very tired and want to sleep, I'll attach the bag to my belt, and if someone tries to take it, I'll wake up.
AirTags. Try to hide them among your gear.
MINDSET AND ATTITUDE
My general approach is to avoid selecting myself as a target, rather than just trying to secure the gear as strongly as possible. To do that, follow these principles:
- Don't flash the fact that you are traveling with a lot of gear.
- Don't talk too much. Avoid sharing details like where you're staying, when you're flying, or your exact itinerary.
- Dress humbly. Your Rolex or Apple Watch can stay at home.
- Your camera bag too. Use simple luggage, a simple backpack, and inserts.
- Don't be naive. Don't be too trusting. Be on guard. Don't trust security cameras, and don't blindly trust that the police will catch thieves. But with that, be a nice person.
- Always try to have backups of your photographs.
If you'd rather travel with someone who already knows the ground, take a look at my workshops.
So, what are your top gear safety tips when traveling? Let me know in the comments below!